Adam Bleakney

Paralympian 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012

Athlete Bio#

Hometown

Mason City

Education

After graduating from community college, Bleakney transferred to the University of Illinois and began training under the legendary Marty Morse. He completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees at Illinois, moved away for three years to Atlanta, and then returned to take over the head coaching position after Morse retired.

Adam Bleakney was on the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team in Sydney and Athens, and won a silver medal in the 800m in Athens. He's won the Chicago Marathon, Nashville Marathon, Indianapolis Mini-Marathon and finished in the top three at a number of other road races. In September 2008, Bleakney competed in four races at his third Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

Bleakney started his wheelchair racing career racking up miles on the cracked county blacktops of Iowa, first jumping into a racing chair in 1996, just nine months after a spinal cord injury. With six months of training under his belt, he competed in the Chicago marathon, dragging himself across the finish line in spite of crashing at mile 24 and suffering a mild concussion. It was not a dazzling start to his career, but one that typified his tenacity and set the stage for the journey to come.

Major Achievements:

2008: U.S. Paralympic Team member, Track & Field - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
2006: IPC World Championships, Assen, Holland
2006: First place - Indianapolis Mini-Marathon
2005: First place - Nashville Marathon
2004: Silver medal, 800m - Paralympic Games, Athens, Greece
2004: Second place - Chicago Marathon
2003: Fifth place - Columbus Marathon,
2003: First place, 400m - Swiss National Championships
2003: Sixth place - Boston Marathon
2002: First place - Chicago Marathon
2002: Second place - Columbus Marathon
2002: Member of U.S. World Championship team, Lille, France